


Twelve Feet Deep

by the_lux



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Roommates, Slow Burn, and trixie does not know anything about sex, bc trixie likes a boy, but katya also likes trixie, gays braiding hairs, i forgot the most important tag, i think??, katya is gay, ok but this is my first fic so be gentle lol, so katya helps her out, trixie is a church girl with shitty parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-02-23 06:23:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13184208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_lux/pseuds/the_lux
Summary: Katya starts university at Columbia in New York, and shares her dorm with a beautiful girl, who doesn't have a lot of experience in life.aka katya teaches trixie what love is





	1. Part 1: Time

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing in a long time, sooo please be gentle.
> 
> for chapter 1 there isn't much to say; beware for some homphobia!
> 
> if you need me to change anything or whatever hit me up in the comments! I hope this doesnt suckkkk

Katya let her head fall on the pillow, finally alone in her new home. It had been an exhausting few days, moving from her bedroom in her mom’s house near Boston, to a shared dorm room at Columbia University. 

Katya and her mom had left Boston on an early Saturday morning, in a minivan packed with suitcases and boxes. When they arrived a few hours later, they picked up the keys to Katya’s dorm at the housing office and made their way to the spacious and well-lit room. 

There were two beds on the dorm, one for Katya, and one for her roommate who, according to the man behind the desk at the housing office, was expected to arrive on Wednesday.

Both beds had a white information folder on it, one of which telling Katya which bed would be hers, the other one telling her that her roommate would be a girl named Trixie. Katya shrugged as her mom sat down on the bed and started to read in Katya’s folder. 

Katya sat down next to her mom and read along, but it didn’t take long before she got bored and let her head fall back on the bed. 

“I’ll miss you at home, you know that?” her mom said, putting her hand on Katya’s leg. 

“I’ll miss you and home too, mom.”

“But you’ll have a great time here, and home isn’t too far away.”

Katya nodded and hastily blinked away the tear that was forming in the corner of her eye. 

-

The next day, Katya and her mother went to explore New York after staying the night in a hotel. They had gone to see Times Square and did some shopping. After an early dinner at a fancy restaurant, the two took the train back to Katya’s dorm, after which her mom drove back home to Boston. 

So there Katya was, laying on the bed in her new home. She had put up some posters, including a big Lana del Rey one above her bed, next to the big rainbow flag her mother had given to her after Katya came out as gay when she was almost 17. 

Katya got up and grabbed her laptop, realizing she had a skype date with Bianca and Alyssa, her two closest friends from high school. She propped a pillow to the wall for comfort and sat on the bed with her laptop on her lap. She sent a text to their group chat that she was on her way as she opened skype. 

Bianca and Alyssa went to college together in Los Angeles, Bianca studying fashion while Alyssa majored in dance. They’d be sharing a dorm, something of which Katya couldn’t help but be a little jealous. Their courses would already start tomorrow, while Katya still had a week to prepare. Soon, Katya heard the familiar skype ringtone and clicked the answer buttton. After a few seconds, she was met with two bright smiles from her best friends. 

“Hello miss Katya!” Alyssa practically screamed, sending Katya and Bianca into a fit of laughter. 

“Hey girls, you look so good! How is your dorm? Is it as big as mine?” Katya said excitedly. 

“Our dorm would maybe look bigger if this bitch would finally start unpacking her suitcases, AND I had to change this bitch her pillowcases!” Bianca said, giving Alyssa a stern look, which was pointedly ignored by the other girl. 

Katya smiled at the screen, realizing how much she would be going to miss her two closest friends. She grabbed a comb and some hairties from her toiletry bag, and started parting her hair to make two french braids while talking to the girls. 

“So, is your roommate there yet?” Bianca asked after she finished calling Alyssa out. 

“Not yet, she’s supposed to come in Wednesday though, so that gives me a few days to get settled and stuff.”

“Are you excited? Made a connection on Facebook or something yet?” Alyssa asked. 

Katya finished the braid on the left side of her head and tied it up before restarting the process on the right side. “I haven’t... I’m honestly a bit scared? What if she thinks I’m weird?”

“Bitch, have you seen yourself?” Bianca yelled, “ _Of course_ she’ll think you’re weird!”

“Fair enough, but you know what I mean... What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Girl, shut the hell up. Y’all’s the kindest and most hilarious girl I ever seen.” Alyssa clicked her tongue, making Katya smile.  

“I guess it’s just the anxiety talking. Thanks babes.” 

—

After talking to her girls for another hour or so, Katya shut her laptop and got up off the bed. She quickly took a shower, careful not to get her neatly braided hair under the stream. As she dried off a few minutes later, she wondered what it would be like to live in a dorm with someone. Surely, she had always had people around her at home, her mom and her little sister Sasha, but it would be different to actually share a dorm with a practical stranger. 

She sat on the bed, looking around the room once more before turning off the lights and going to sleep. She could hear stumbling from the dorms next to hers, probably from other people who were just now unpacking their pajamas from all their other stuff. 

She grabbed her phone and sent her mom a goodnight text, and opened up her conversation with Violet. 

**Katya: hey lady, how boring is the street without me? can you hear sasha crying from her bedroom with how much she misses me?**

Violet had moved into the house opposite of Katya’s when she was 5, and the two instantly became good friends. As both of them got older, their friendship only got stronger, even though they never went to the same school and a lot had changed over the years. 

A few minutes later, Violet’s reply came. 

**Violet: keep on dreaming, girl. Sasha and i are throwing a “the witch is finally gone”-party! just kidding babe, i’m gonna miss you lots.**

**Katya: thanks for that**

**please make sure my little sister doesn’t do anything stupid**

**make sure /you/ don’t do anything stupid while you’re at it**

**Violet: youre a cunt.**

**Katya: xoxo**

The two bickered on for a bit after that, until Katya felt her eyes get tired. She sent Violet a goodnight text, plugged her charger into her phone and rested her head. 

-

The next morning when Katya woke up, she was pleased to see that the braids sat in her hair perfectly. She was less pleased to see the amount of boxes that were still waiting to be unpacked. 

She started with the boxes she knew held shoes and clothes, and started filling the big wardrobe that lined the wall on her side of the dorm. After that, Katya deserved to buy lunch at the campus cafeteria. 

She got to the food court pretty early, or at least well before lunch time. Katya got herself a grilled cheese sandwich, a small salad and a coffee. As she held the tray with food in her hands, she scanned the large room to find a nice place to sit. There were tiny tables and bigger tables, and Katya figured it could be a good idea to make a few friends while she was at it. When she saw a guy sitting alone at a large table, she walked over and asked to join him. 

The guy’s name was Bob, a second-year life sciences student. He told Katya came to the cafeteria because he was hungry and bored, and the cafeteria was apparently a good place to watch lost first-years find their way around the campus. 

Bob was funny, and according to himself the lonely and only gay in the life sciences course. He gave Katya his number and told her he would have to show her around soon. (“I can tell you where to get the good weed,” he’d said when Katya told him about her anxiety and her medical marijuana license.)

After that, Katya returned to her dorm to unpack the rest of the boxes. She put up some fairy lights that she brought and stuck some more posters to the wall. She put her make up bag on her desk and stuck a mirror to the wall above it. 

-

Wednesday arrived before Katya realized. Luckily, she had remembered to set an alarm and was able to make herself look decent before Trixie arrived. 

She was browsing on her laptop when she heard a soft knock on the door, after which the handle turned and the door opened. Katya looked over and saw a brightly smiling, tall, blonde girl. She got up off the bed to introduce herself. 

“Hey! My name’s Trixie, it’s so nice to meet you!” The girl said as she shook Katya’s hand. 

“So nice! My name’s K-“

And that was when it all went wrong. 

“What’s that?” Trixie’s mother chimed in, pointing at the flag on Katya’s wall with a disgusted look on her face. The woman looked like an ugly older version of Trixie, stuck-up and snobby. 

“Uhm,” Katya started, “do you mean my pride flag?” Katya looked at Trixie, whose face had fallen. Her mother walked over to her, grabbing her hand. She was still looking at Katya like she had just set a house on fire. 

“So you’re gay?” The woman asked, her voice harsh. 

“Yes, I’m a lesbian.” Katya replied confidently. She was proud to feel sure in her sexuality, and even though it hurt her that people still got mad over it, she’d pretend it didn’t get to her. 

Katya turned around to grab her backpack, wanting to leave the room as soon as possible. She threw in her charger and laptop, as well as her wallet. She put on her docs while behind her back, she heard Trixie’s parents talk to their daughter, their voices laced with worry. 

“Trixie, baby, do you want us to go to the housing office? We can ask if you can switch dorms?”

“You surely can’t live with a gay girl, what if she does something to you?”

“We have to find a solution, there must be a way to change things, no matter the costs...”

What maybe hurt her most was that her roommate didn’t say anything. Katya sighed as she pretended she hadn’t heard a word the parents said and turned to face the family. 

“Anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it while you’re unpacking. Good luck, I’ll be exploring campus and I’ll see you later.” She looked Trixie in the eyes. “Or not, who knows.” 

With that, she walked to the door and threw it shut behind her. 

 

 


	2. Part 1: Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katya makes a new friend and Trixie realizes something important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the great and sweet reactions (and kudos!) to my first chapter :) hope you enjoy this chapter at least just as much!! any feedback or whatever, hit me up in the comments or on tumblr: ilseofflightlessbirds xx!

Katya left the building, fists clenched and eyes watering. As soon as she got outside she took her phone out of her pocket and dialed her mom. After the phone rang a few times, Katya was about to hang up when her mother picked up the phone. 

“Hey dear! How are you! Did you get to meet your roommate?”

Katya sighed into her phone, unable to stop a sob. from coming out. “I did, mom. I’m not sure it’s going to work out well.”

“Calm down, darling, will you tell me what happened?” 

“Well,” Katya started, “she came in with her parents and she seemed like a nice girl? Excited to meet me and all that. But then they saw the flag you gave me on the wall and the parents flipped out and I ruined everything because I’m gay.”

“Oh sweetie, this isn’t your fault! Take a deep breath, dear. You’re an amazing person, and if people don’t accept you, don’t even give you a chance, that’s their stupid fault. You’re strong, Katya, don’t let these stupid people get to your head.”

Katya took a deep, shaky breath and repeated her mother. “This is not my fault. Thanks, mom. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, bunny.”

Katya sniffed, but a smile appeared on her face. She took the sleeve of her shirt in her hand and wiped away her tears. 

“So, Kat, have you met any nice people yet? Maybe someone from your hall?”

“No one from my hall, but I had lunch with this guy named Bob, he’s hilarious, so that’s nice.”

“Do you think you can text him? Maybe he can distract you from that girl?”

“I’ll try that, thanks mom. Will you tell Sasha I love her?”

“Of course, we’ll talk soon?”

“We’ll talk soon.”

Katya sighed as she ended the conversation. She looked at her surroundings while fiddling with her phone, trying to get her breathing steady. After a minute, she opened messenger and sent Bob a text. 

**Katya: hey, its katya. kind of had a shitty morning meeting my roommate, wanna grab coffee or something?**

She also sent a text to her chat with Alyssa and Bianca, as well as to Violet:

**Katya: when u meet ur roommate and shes a homophobe lol i <3 my life **

Katya made her way to the cafe nearby, feeling her phone vibrate in her back pocket. It was a call from Violet. 

“Hey babe,” Katya answered. 

“What did she say and when should I come over to beat her up?” Was the first thing Violet said. 

“I love you,” Katya laughed, “but please don’t beat anyone up just yet. Anyway she came in and introduced herself, but remember the pride flag my mom gave me?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, so, her mom saw it and basically freaked the fuck out.”

“Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately... they even talked about getting Trixie transferred to another building. I just hadn’t expected it, like, why come to New York when your mindset is still stuck in, I don’t know, the colonial era or whatever?”

“What did the girl say? Trixie you said?”

“Yeah Trixie. She didn’t say anything, she just stood there, probably disgusted by my presence and afraid I’d hit on her or something.”

Katya got to the coffee shop, telling Violet to give her a minute as she placed her order. Behind the desk was a girl with big, green eyes. Her hair had dark roots, but the two braids were bleached blonde. 

“I love your braids, by the way!” She said as she took her black coffee from the girl. 

She put the phone back to her ear and heard Violet laughing. 

“Already hitting on people, I hear?”

“Oh shut up, you cunt, you know how much I love braided hair.” She whisper-yelled. 

“Okay, okay, true. Remember when you started braiding my hair the second it was long enough to do it?”

Katya smiled at the memory. “I remember that. My mother showed me how it had to be done, and you looked like a beautiful girl, especially with that smile you had after it was done.”

“Such a long time ago, it’s crazy.”

“Yeah.”

A silence fell between the two best friends, and Violet told Katya that she had to go, but not after telling her to hold on and be the strong bitch she always was. 

When Katya checked her texts after the phone call ended, she started with the one Bob sent her. 

**Bob: uh oh, come to the teacup cafe, i’ll meet you there**

**Katya: way ahead of you! see you soon xx**

The next text was from her little sister. 

**Sasha: I love you, sis!!!!**

**Never change!!**

**You are the best person!**

**I miss you**

**:)**

Sasha was only thirteen, and had gotten Katya’s old phone only a few days before she left to college. Katya was surprised Sasha hadn’t spammed her with texts earlier, but figured that Sasha was probably mostly playing games or texting her friends. 

The last texts Katya had gotten were from Alyssa and Bianca. It started out with a whole bunch of angry emoji, as well as some profanity from Bianca. Alyssa had told Katya not to worry, if her roommate did anything Katya could always go to the board or some other authority who could help her. She thanked the girls for their understanding, as she saw Bob enter the shop. He ordered a drink and sat down at the table with Katya. 

After telling Bob the whole story, he told her that it sucked, but that there probably wasn’t much that could be done for Trixie to change rooms, as this would not be seen as a legit enough reason to change the housing plan. 

“She’s just going to have to get used to it, whether she likes it or not. And it sucks to not get along with your roommate, but you can always hang out with me and my friends. Have you met the barista?”

“The one with the nice hair?”

“Yeah, that’s Adore. She’s also my friend. Total pothead, but a lot of fun to be around and bat shit crazy.”

“Awesome, thanks Bob. I’m happy I met you.” 

—

Katya and Bob spent a few more hours in the coffee shop, having lunch and talking about anything and everything. After Adore’s shift ended, she joined the other two. 

The three hung out in Bob and Derrick their dorm. Derrick wasn’t there, to Bob’s relief. Apparently the boy was annoying, yet adorable. The three watched movies and ate Chinese takeaway as they got to know each other. Katya was happy to have met some new friends already, and all worries about her roommate were pushed to the back of her mind. 

When Katya got back to her dorm around 11, the lights were off. She turned on the small lamp on her nightstand, and saw Trixie was already asleep in the bed on the other side of the room. 

Katya gathered clean underwear and her pajamas and quickly took a shower in the tiny bathroom. She made sure to keep quiet, not wanting to wake Trixie and start a possible world war this late. Fifteen minutes later, Katya got under the covers of her bed. 

—

The next morning, Katya saw Trixie wasn’t in her bed when she woke up. When she got up to pee, however, she heard Trixie’s voice from the bathroom. 

While Trixie was on the phone, Katya turned to her  desk to fix her hair. After she was done, she sat on her bed, playing a game on her phone while waiting for Trixie to come out. 

Katya was a bit anxious, not sure what would happen when she would be alone with the other girl. She tried to listen to what Trixie was saying or who she was talking to. However, Trixie was keeping her voice down, probably to try not to wake Katya. 

She heard Trixie tell whoever was on the phone goodbye, and made sure she looked busy on her phone for when Trixie returned to the room. She quickly got back into bed, wrapping the covers around herself. She put her phone in front of her face, so Trixie would realize she was awake, and texted Violet about the awkwardness that would probably ensue sooner or later. 

The bathroom unlocked, and Trixie walked towards her bed. She didn’t look at Katya, so she jumped slightly when Katya wished her a good morning. 

Trixie was wearing flannel pink pajama shorts, and a loose baby pink t-shirt on top. When she turned to face Katya, she saw her face was bare of any make up. Trixie had soft features, a few freckles, and big, brown eyes. If she wasn’t such a cunt, Katya would probably find her a pretty girl. 

Trixie also sat back down on her bed and stared at her phone. Katya decided to grab her laptop from the desk, and sitting against the wall with the covers over her legs. Even though it was barely September, it was already getting pretty cold outside. 

As Katya’s laptop started up, she found herself cringing at the situation she was in. Trixie wasn’t paying any attention to Katya, and Katya herself tried not to mind Trixie either, but the tension in the room was undeniable. Katya briefly wondered if she should say anything, but figured that because she hadn’t done anything apart from existing, it was Trixie’s turn to apologize, or at least start the conversation. 

Katya refocused on her laptop and browsed to the e-Prospectus. She had bought most books she’d need this semester already, but there were a few readings she’d have to find online. While the site loaded, she looked at Trixie. When she found Trixie already looking at her, she quickly averted her eyes. 

She heard Trixie sigh, and her eyes were drawn to the sound involuntarily. Katya forced herself to look at her laptop screen after that. 

Trixie sighed once more, before opening her mouth to speak. 

“Uhm, yeah. So I know we didn’t have the greatest start, and uhm, I feel like I should apologize.”

Katya looked away from her screen and up at Trixie, who was looking in Katya’s direction, fidgeting with a plush bunny rabbit.

Trixie looked Katya straight in the eyes as she continued, “So, I’m sorry about how things went yesterday, and I really wish I could turn back time and get a second chance to meet you.”

Katya felt herself smile a bit, whispering a soft “thank you” to the other girl.

Trixie’s gaze turned soft as she continued to talk. “I grew up under, like, the super strict protection of my parents. I was home schooled, and I don’t think I know much more about the world than what I learned from them and the Church. That doesn’t mean I believe everything they say, but it is all I’ve ever been in touch with.” Trixie sighed again. “Anyway, we never really had a proper introduction. Uhm, it says in the folder your name is… Yee-… Yeekathryn?”

Katya burst into laughter at how the other girl pronounced her name. When she saw the confused blush on Trixie’s cheeks, she spoke. “It’s Yekaterina, but everybody calls me Katya. It’s a common Russian nickname.”

“Sorry,” Trixie said, still blushing, “Can I call you Katya?”

“Of course, girl! As long as you don’t ever call me Yeekathryn again.” Katya smiled. “Many people have absolutely butchered my name over the past years, but I think this has to be the worst attempt.”

Finally, Trixie was also laughing, something Katya was happy to see.

“So uhm, your flag, you said you’re…” Trixie said hesitantly.

“A lesbian, yeah. You can say the word, it’s not offensive.” Katya smiled softly, and Trixie was blushing again, even more red than she was before.

“Sorry, I’ve just never… I don’t think I’ve ever met any lesbians before. Where I’m from, people aren’t as open-minded as they are here. They don’t really accept people like you.”

“Well, as long as you won’t judge me for being me, we’re good. And I won’t judge you for not being aware of everything. Katya offered with a smile. “And if you ever have questions or anything, please let me know. I’d rather explain some stuff or just talk than, I don’t know… You know?”

“Thank you.” Trixie nodded. “I should have spoken up when my parents said those things but, I guess was a bit shocked and I didn’t want them to think things.”

“It’s okay, I understand it now. But, you don’t want your parents to think what? Are you also gay?”

Trixie’s eyes grew big, “No, no, no, not me. I don’t know. It just, it shouldn’t be an excuse.”

Katya nodded, and a short silence fell. “So, where are you from, then?” Katya continued.

“Rural Wisconsin. I lived on a cow farm, basically in the middle of nowhere. How about you? Are you Russian, Yeekathryn?” Trixie laughed.

“Oh my, you had one job!” Katya wheezed, “I’m not Russian, but my dad was Russian. Most his family still lives there. My mom is from Boston.”

“Are you close to your parents? I’ve heard Russia isn’t accepting either.”

“Well, my mom is one of my best friends, basically. My dad passed away in a car accident when I was almost 8, but he and I were also close. I can’t know for sure, but I think he would have accepted me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Trixie said sympathetically.

“Thanks, it’s difficult sometimes, but it has really strengthened my bond with my mom and my little sister Sasha. She’s six years younger than me, so she doesn’t really remember our dad. We’ve traveled to Russia together though, to visit our grandparents and the rest of our family. But they don’t speak English and Sasha doesn’t speak Russian, so it was a bit strange for her, I think. But everyone was happy to see us again.”

“You speak Russian?”

“I do, I’m not as fluent as I used to be, and my grammar isn’t perfect, but I do speak it. But how about you? Do you have any siblings?”

“I’m the oldest of six, three little sisters and two brothers. It was a full house, totally crazy.”

“Sounds fun, though?”

“Totally, loads of fun, but having to share everything with your little sisters can be difficult.”

Katya nodded in understanding.

“How did your parents feel about you coming here? And what’s your major?” Katya asked Trixie.

“Music. My parents were sad, and I think even a little bit afraid. They would have preferred I’d stay in Wisconsin, but I’ve always wanted this so they support me. What about you?”

“English and Comparative Literature, and I’ll be taking some French language courses on the side. My mom also studied here when she was young, so she’s excited about my decision. But she’ll miss me, of course.”

“Ooh, fancy.”

The girls continued to get to know each other for a few hours and made a list of things they’d need to buy for their dorm. Katya thought it was cute how Trixie insisted on getting a kettle for her tea, rather than just popping it in the microwave. They also needed blankets to put over the small, ugly sofa in the room, and maybe a mini fridge.

Before going to sleep that night, Katya made sure to text her friends.

**Katya:**

**she apologized. all is well, going shopping next week**


	3. Part 1: Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello hellooo  
> i don't have much to say today, except that i just finished writing this chapter during a long soak in the bath. i'm covered in glitters, and i'm wearing pink eyeliner so i look extra pretty today.   
> i hope you guys enjoy this chapter and i will have to ask constaza (highonbrunost) now to put my tumblr url in one of those pretty hyperlinks   
> so yeah anyway, thanks for your support!! let me know what you liked and didnt like! xx

  
The Friday before the official start of classes, Katya doesn’t see Trixie much. The girls have an introductory day for their respective bachelors, meeting their peers and mentors, which means they’ll be busy most of the day. 

When Katya wakes up from Trixie’s alarm, the other girl apologizes and immediately gets up. Katya checks her phone, only to see she still has at least 30 minutes before she should start getting ready. Trixie showered the evening before, so Katya doesn’t really understand why the other girl would need so much time to get ready. 

She grabs her blanket, and tightly wraps them around herself once more, trapping the warmth of her bed close to her body. 

When Katya sees Trixie plug her curling iron into the wall, as well as take out her gigantic make up bag, she understands why Trixie needs time to get ready. While the curling iron heats up, Trixie gathers the outfit she laid out the previous evening, and walks into the bathroom to change. It’s too early for Katya to decide whether or not she should be offended, but quickly decides to settle on that Trixie probably finds it weird to change in a room with someone she barely knows. She doesn’t really care either way, and turns around to close her eyes for maybe 20 more minutes. 

-

After a seminar on the classes she will be taking this semester, as well as some general rules and tips for the students, Katya was sent to meet the people she’d have her tutorial sessions that would accompany the lectures with. She was informed she’d be in this group the first semester only, after that the students got to pick their own classes in order to set up their schedule. 

Katya’s group consisted of 10 people, and a mentor, who was a second-year student. Her name was Jasmine, and Katya thought she was hilarious. The group went to a restaurant to get drinks and some snacks, to get to know each other. To Katya the group seemed like a nice mix of people, from different states and with different backgrounds. Katya mostly got to know the girl she sat next to, Jinkx. Jinkx was a ginger-haired girl with narcolepsy and a great sense of humor. She and Katya instantly hit off, exchanged phone numbers and decided to sit together during their first lecture on Monday. 

After having dinner with Jinkx, Katya joined her to her dorm, where she met Ginger, Jinkx’s roommate. The three had some drinks, and after that Katya went back to her own dorm. 

Trixie wasn’t there when Katya came back, but she heard the other blonde come in while she was in the shower. 

After her shower, Katya half-blowdried her hair and quickly put it into two braids. She noticed Trixie look at her, and smiled. 

“How do you do that so fast?” Trixie asked. 

“Practice makes perfect, I guess?”

Trixie nodded and continued watching. 

“After my mom taught me, I used to braid all my friends’ their hair.” Katya tied the elastic band around the end of her second braid. “Want me to braid yours too?”

Trixie shrugged a little. “How long do you leave it in for?”

“For me usually two or three days, I usually braid it in the evening and then the next two days it’s a bit messier, which i prefer. Or you have waves when you take them out. But I guess it depends on how often you have to wash your hair and stuff.”

“Would you maybe braid mine tomorrow? I’m going to Church Sunday morning, so it might be nice. If you have time?”

“Of course, I don’t have plans tomorrow.”

-

After an uneventful weekend, Katya met Jinkx outside of the auditorium for their first lecture. Jinkx hugged Katya and kissed her cheek, a habit she’d picked up during her gap year in Portugal. 

“So, how was your weekend?” Jinkx asked. 

“Alright, I didn’t do much if I’m honest.”

“And is the roommate situation getting any better?” The girls sat down next to each other and took their stuff out of their bags. 

“I think so,” Katya told Jinkx everything that happened after meeting Ginger. “It’s still a bit awkward, and I was honestly a little relieved to have some alone time when she went to Church yesterday. But she’s nice and we get along.” 

“That’s good. I’m glad Ginger is a little less... judgemental than Trixie.”

“Except that she immediately started shipping us,” Katya laughed, softly punching Jinkx in the arm.

“Yeah, but at least she seemed excited.” 

“I wouldn’t say Trixie is judgemental per se, she’s just not used to it. At least she’s trying.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“Can’t say the same about her parents... Philology, right?” Katya asked, opening a new document to take notes in.

Jinkx nodded, following Katya’s example. 

The lecture started, and Katya already knew it wasn’t going to be as interesting as hoped, since the lecturer said he’d spend the first half dealing with the explanation of the syllabus. Katya pouted semi-ironically, and lowered her head onto Jinkx’s shoulder. She forced herself to pay attention, however, because they’d be having their workgroup tutorial right after the lecture. 

Luckily for the girls, the second half of the lecture, as well as their tutorial, had been a lot more interesting. They were assigned a group presentation and essay, and Katya immediately formed a duo with Jinkx. 

-

A few days later, Katya came home after a long day of school. She hung out with Bob, Adore and Jinkx during the lunch gap they shared, from 11 to 1. 

She got home a bit after 3, and found Trixie nappig in bed. Her cheeks were a little red, probably from the warmth of the duvet that was wrapped around her. Trixie’s hands were near her face, and holding her soft, light brown plush bunny. One of its long ears was stuck under Trixie’s cheek. 

Had Katya known Trixie better, she would probably have taken a picture of the sight, since it may or may not have been one of the cutest things she had ever seen.  _Almost_  as cute as Violet’s proud face after buying her first bras with Katya. 

For an hour, Katya texted with Alyssa, Bianca, and Violet to catch up. While Alyssa and Bianca were seemingly having he times of their lives, Violet told Katya she already kind of regretted her decision to take a gap year. Working in the local supermarket in their Boston suburb was exhaustingly boring, according to Violet. 

At some point, Katya decided she should probably start on her reading for the next day, her introduction to literary studies course. 

After about an hour, she realized Trixie was still asleep, and she herself was starting to get hungry. She got up and knelt in front of the other blonde. 

“Trix,” she said softly. She put her hand on Trixie’s head, thumb stroking her forehead. “Wake up, you’ve been sleeping for a while now.” She continued to softly speak until Trixie’s eyes opened, once, twice, before the girl actually woke up. 

“What time is it?” She asked, her voice laced with sleep. 

“It’s getting up to 5, I was thinking we could maybe get dinner.” Katya took her hand out of Trixie’s hair, but held her face close, smiling. From up close, Katya could see Trixie’s freckles om her nose under her foundation. 

Trixie nodded and stretched her body a little. “I didn’t sleep much, I keep waking up in the middle of the night because my pillow is so low.”

Katya laughed a little. “That’s why people bring their pillow from home, silly.”

“You brou-, that’s so smart. I wish I thought of that.”

“We can get you a pillow when we go get that other stuff, maybe.” Katya suggested. 

Trixie nodded, sitting up and yawning a bit. 

Katya got up from her squatting position as well, grabbing her phone from the desk. “We could get food at campus, but I was thinking maybe we can order take-away, if you want.”

“I could go for some Italian?”

“Sounds good.”

Trixie got up to use the bathroom while Katya googled the menu for a nearby Italian delivery service. 

When Trixie got back, the girls scanned the menu and decided to share a pizza margharita and a pasta carbonara. Katya put her laptop on a small table in front of their crappy sofa, and started browsing Netflix. She wasn’t sure what to put on, and Trixie didn’t seem too sure either. 

“Ever watched Brooklyn Nine Nine?” Katya asked the other girl. 

“I don’t think so, no. Is it any good?”

“It’s  _literally_  the reason I came to New York.”

“You’re lying.” 

“I am, but it’s a fucking great show.”

Katya prided herself in being able to make the other girl laugh. 

Trixie seemed to enjoy the show as much as Katya did, laughing at the jokes. Sometimes, Katya caught herself laughing, simply because Trixie was. 

As soon as the first episode ended, Katya got a call on her phone, telling her their deliverer was waiting for them to get the food. Whiile Trixie walked to the door, Katya got them forks and filled two glasses with soda from the uncooled bottle under their sink. 

Trixie comes back into the room, a smile on her face and food in hands. She puts it on the table and tells Katya to restart Netflix. Trixie starts with the pasta, while Katya takes a slice of pizza. 

“Is the pasta any good? Because this pizza is delicious.” Katya asked after a minute. 

Trixie nodded. “So good. We should make this a tradition.”

Katya smiled, happy to be bonding with Trixie, even if it was just over food. She grabbed her drink from the table and took a sip after she finished her drink. Trixie followed suit. 

“So, tell me, when did you know you’re a lesbian? Or did you just... know?” 

“Not at all! I mean, some people do just know but for me it’s a hard question, honestly. While growing up, my mom taught me to be pretty open minded and all that, and I have always been pretty aware of the LGBT community.” Katya took the box of pasta out of Trixie’s lap, taking a few bites. “So when I hit puberty, I never really assumed I was straight, but I told myself I’d just do whatever felt good. I did kind of think I would probably end up with a man later, because that’s the standard, I guess. But then I got a little older and I felt myself getting more and more interested in girls, so I figured I must at least be bisexual. It was kind of a process, getting to know who I am, as well as kind of... dealing with it? I mean, I accepted it but at the same time, no one wants do be different, you know?” Trixie hummed in response, taking a bite of her pizza. “So yeah, I realized more and more that boys didn’t do much for me, and the majority of men being dicks didn’t really help. I wouldn’t say it’s absolutely  _impossible_  for me to fall in love with a dude, but at this point I highly doubt it would happen.”

“I see. I think it’s good that you were raised the way you were. Like, I love my parents and I think they raised me very well, but they were outright mean to you when we first met you, and that was totally unjustified. I don’t want to be like that.”

“I think you should be proud of yourself to realize that.” Katya looked at Trixie, who had her eyes focused on the laptop screen. 

-

That night, Katya wakes up at 3:30 AM. She doesn’t rememeber much from her dream, except that the one moment she was sat at the table across her crying mom and sister, and the next moment she was stuck in an accalerating car without any brakes. She’s had the dream before, except this time she was lucky enough to wake up before the ghost of her dad flashed in front of the windshield. Her body is sweaty and she feels her joints ache while she sits up. Her shoulders, neck, and hips are tense, and when she reaches up to feel her heartbeat, it’s strong and rapid. 

Quietly, she gets out of bed and puts on a big sweater, yoga pants and her sneakers, not bothering to put on socks. She reaches for the box under her bed and takes out the glass jar, as well as a lighter. After slipping her phone in the pocket on her sweater, Katya exits the room and goes to sit on the picnic table outside their building. 

She opens the old jam jar, and is immediately hit by the strong smell of the weed she keeps in it. It’s disgusting, but it already manages to calm her down a bit. She takes a rolling paper from its packet, and quickly folds a crutch out of a piece of thick paper. She takes a bit of her grinded bubblegum haze and puts it on the folded paper, and puts the tip she folded next to it. With skilled fingers, she shapes her joint and licks thebpaper to make it stick. 

She shakes the weed down a bit, creating a more compact joint and twists the paper to seal it. 

She takes a quick second to admire her handicraft before she lights the joint and inhales deeply to get it to stay on. 

Katya looks around her, enjoying the scenery and takign her time. She thinks she should maybe be feeling a bit scared, alone in the dark, but she feels rather peaceful and content. She takes another hit, and tries to hold it for as long as she can. 

Katya exhales, and closes her eyes. Spliffs, without tobacco, usually take a little longer to work for Katya, but once she gets the flowy feeling in her head, it’s nice to stay floating on that cloud. 

She takes her phone out, slowly smoking the spliff. 

After a minute or two, she gets a text. 

**Trixie: where are you? xx**

**Katya: i’m outside. don’t worry. had a bad dream, i’ll be back in a bit.**

**thanks for asking**

Katya smiles at at Trixie’s gesture, and knows the weed is taking effect when she can feel the muscles in her cheeks more prominently than usual. She inhales through the joint once more, and then pushes it to the side of the table, willing it to go out. Once it is, she puts in back in the jar while exhaling the smoke. 

Katya sits for another second, and closes her eyes. The sounds of the night are beautiful, crickets and some birds. She registers the door opening, and turns around to see Trixie. 

“Hey.”

“Are you okay?” Trixie asks. 

Katya nods, smiling again. Smiling always feels a thousand times nicer when she’s stoned. 

When Trixie smiles back and walks towards her, her smile grows even bigger, to the point where it almost starts hurting. She giggles a bit, willing the feeling to go away. 

“Smells weird here.” Trixie says. 

“That’s probably my fault.” Katya replies, slowly raising her hand to point at the weed. She looks over at Trixie, whose eyes have widened. 

“Katya!! Is that weed?”

Katya giggles again. “It is! But don’t worry. I have a license.” She sighs, her body relaxed. Her hair tickles in her neck, and then she realizes Trixie had a warm hand wrapped around her wrist. Katya tells herself it only feels nice because she’s stoned, but deep down she knows that maybe that is not the complete truth. 

“You get these dreams often, then?”

Katya shrugs, trying to keep focusing on Trixie’s warm hand, but it’s difficult when she also has to be talking. “Every now and then. I have anxiety. But it helps calm me down after this as well. It’s just a nice feeling. Do you want to try?” 

Trixie shakes her head. “No, thank you. But you’re feeling better?”

“I am.” 

Katya focuses on Trixie’s hand again, until the other girl speaks again. 

“Let’s go back inside.” Trixie’s voice is even softer than usual, and her voice sounds like music to Katya’s ears. “It’s cold outside. And next time, if you want, you can wake me up so you don’t have to be outside by yourself in the dead of night.” 

Katya’s cheeks hurt from smiling, but it feels nicer than anything else she can think of right now.

 


End file.
